


I'm Not A Salamander

by snowdynia



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, JHavenProject2020, Kinda fluff, Modern AU, Oneshot, kinda funny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowdynia/pseuds/snowdynia
Summary: Some things are worth celebrating for, like the moment she treasured an animal more than a supposedly full-blown anniversary date. Modern AU. #jhavenproject2020
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa (Disney)/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14
Collections: Tales of Jelsa Haven





	I'm Not A Salamander

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is written as part of the project held in the Jelsa Haven Discord server, a safe haven for all Jelsa shippers. If you are interested in joining us in our community (which I recommend), feel free to directly message me so that I can provide the link.
> 
> Also, if you find other stories or even art and edits from other sites made under the hashtag #jhavenproject2020 (or its other variations), I encourage you to support them as well. Thankies!

A small cafeteria and its accompanying bustling street, a tiny town filled with the noisiest lads or the kindest neighbors. Not as busy as a city, yet can't rival the serenity of a windy province. Trees sprung here and there, a few flowers budding in small bushes, houses short and stout. Stores left open both at broad daylight and even past midnight, a parade of people arriving no matter the time of day. A place he once used to know so well, his personal stop-by whenever his mind drifted away from serenity.

This was where Jack Frost met her for the first time, her hair once tied in a bun, uptight and serious. A silent girl in the midst of a busy and cramped restaurant. The only seat he found, the space no one dared to ask for.

Jack learned that life could be unexpected, that even the smallest decisions might come back and haunt his present. He learned that meeting her wasn’t on purpose, that a simple statement can embed on someone else's mind. He admired how he met her in the first place, knowing how messed up it could’ve been with his personality back then.

A year had passed since he saw her fiddling with her book in hand—no food, no drink, just the book and her. It seemed surreal, quite the contrary of his chaotic aura. Her peaceful sense deemed to calm himself in the moment he most needed to be, and soon his mischievous attitude brought out the fun in her.

And yet today, there he stood again, this time with his hands intertwined with hers, her hair tied in a flowing braid, much less of the person he saw back then. Their relationship changed both of them in a way, but not that they complained about it. In fact, Jack could only thank her for everything that she had taught him, his rough side almost entirely washed away, much of a relief for everyone else. Today, evidence of his past seemed nowhere to be found as he dressed up formally for the occasion and could feel his nervousness kicking in.

Especially when her ecstatic expression wasn't due to their anniversary, but rather—

"Elsa, it's a salamander."

"I know."

He felt awkward, the faces of bypassers staring back at his current situation. If those people couldn’t believe their eyes, he couldn’t either.

Apparently, an animal had already ruined their date. An innocent salamander, just resting itself on Elsa’s palm, silently enjoying time with its obliviousness to Jack’s rising anger. He knew he couldn’t scream at an animal without everyone noticing his insanity, and the animal itself wouldn’t understand why he had caused a silly tantrum. And besides, as much as he wanted to pour his fury, the way Elsa stared at the little being definitely took his heart and soul to the world of unimaginable fantasies. What he did to deserve her, he did not know.

To be fair, the little salamander looked adorable. He found it strange enough that it didn’t look like an average salamander, the bluish hue of its body setting it apart from beings like its own. Those eyes and its playful smile proved to be even more irresistible than Jack’s already hypnotic ones. Nothing Jack would admit, of course, knowing that the tiny thing just ruined all of his plans. And so he asked, "since when did you like animals?"

She laughed. "Just today, apparently." 

He held his hands up in confusion. "What's a salamander gonna do in our house?" 

"To be honest, I have no idea," she said as she laughed, mockingly enjoying his evident exasperation. Their new pet jumped, headed straight towards Jack’s face while Elsa continued, "but Anna gave it to me."

Jack deeply sighed. His face now covered by the salamander (who felt warm for some reason), he could barely see anything apart from the muted sunlight. Only he could hear Elsa’s continued laughter, which slightly soothed him, her happiness giving him the best warmth and joy. But even so, that didn’t distract him from his annoyance. How on Earth did that thing manage to change Elsa’s ignorance of pets? 

“Jack, are you okay?” she muttered between her laughs. He would usually be the tiring and unbearable person between the two of them, however, Elsa seemed to have switched their roles this time around. He didn’t know how to respond to her statement, even though the obvious answer could’ve been “no.”

Instead, he sarcastically chuckled along while rubbing the back of his neck. “Ha, definitely.”

Out of all the things, she chose a salamander. He expected something else to ruin all of his plans, Elsa’s sister being at the top of that list. Now what else would she want? A pet horse, a rock, or an autumn leaf?

Elsa then cleared her throat while rummaging through her bag, checking something before catching the salamander back into her hands. Jack ruffled his hair, glancing at his beloved and waiting for a response. He lazily slid his hands into the pocket of his pants before he noticed Elsa narrowing her eyes at him.

“You do know we need to enter the shop too, right?” Elsa asked.

“I—I am aware of that, Snowflake,” he replied, quivering as he spoke, though Jack had his doubts if Elsa had even been aware of  _ his _ presence...

They entered the shop which, over time, lost some of its popularity, but Jack could remember it as bright as the light of day. The first difference he caught aware of was that only a few of its seats had a person seated. Unbelievably so, even in just a span of a year, it seemed that the small cafe faded in everyone's minds. Nothing changed apart from the number of customers they got today; Jack figured that everything he liked would eventually turn out to be criminally underrated. 

The aroma of nostalgic food kicked back into Jack's senses, the place feeling warmer than from what he could recall. Not that it bugged him, just that he immediately craved a cold drink even after entering seconds ago. Elsa loved chocolate as much as her sister did, and thankfully, the warm scent of cocoa also welcomed them into the place just right in time for their date. 

They found a seat next to a glass window, Elsa's favorite spot in the cafe as she could easily admire her surroundings even when indoors. No wonder why he found her in the same place when they first met. Jack didn't know why she liked it so much, when all the drama on the streets could only potentially bother her.

Back then, he'd have to appear in front of the counter to take an order. Not his most favored part of the cafe as people used to often tease him for being slow, but he sure missed that portion of the place. Apparently things changed, for a waiter quickly approached them as they seated, happily handing them out the menu. Jack found himself bothered by the history of this area of the street, because exactly how quick did this place change in a span of a year? Not even he could believe the many changes in the place they used to love the most. 

Elsa sat in content, placing her new salamander friend onto the table. Jack knew to himself that he wouldn't be able to grab her attention if he just stood there in silence, yet he didn’t know how to spark a conversation. Not very Jack of him, especially when Elsa knew him for being the noisy one. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, Elsa…" he started, hoping that she'd notice. Memories replayed in his mind quickly, things that they both cherished. "Remember when—"

He fidgeted his fingers and cut himself off. No luck. Her gaze was entirely locked on the salamander, completely ignorant of everything, her hands barely touching the menu given. He absentmindedly pouted as he skimmed through the list of food, silence filling in the gap between them, while he resisted the urge to throw his hands up in the air in stress. "Are animals allowed in this cafe?" he said quite loudly for the waiter (and Elsa, of course) to hear.

Instead of a reasonable or at least one of her default polite responses, Jack gathered nothing from her. She didn't look away from the animal in her hands. "No one is against me," she said.

He pointed to the dishes in the menu, the waiter silently noting his orders. Said person didn't say anything and wrote down the food under wherever Jack’s hand went, Jack hoping to himself that he got everything right even when under pressure. "I know, I know, it's just… um, Snowflake?"

"Yes?" Her finger lightly tapped the tiny head of the salamander, who squeaked. And despite himself, even he looked tempted to pet the little being. Uh _ , cute? _

He quickly glanced at the waiter right next to them, and apparently even they noticed the insanity unfold. Jack sighed in relief upon the realization that he seemed saner than Elsa; the rarest of the rare, if he’d be honest. He usually became that one man no one would believe in no matter what, and while saddening at most, also a great decision when aware of Jack’s record of being such a trickster. 

"What do you want to eat?" He shrugged and darted his eyes at the menu in front of them, confusion obvious from the waiter right from the corner of his eye. Jack reached out to pat the back of said waiter while waiting for a response from his beloved. Since they’ve met, Jack had been made aware of what Elsa usually liked to eat; not quite a lot, actually. Her personal menu consisted of chocolate and mostly chocolate, all along a bunch of food that he couldn't remember to name. Wouldn't it be safer to ask?

Contrary to what he had totally expected, Elsa began to look away from the salamander but apparently decided against going through reading every meal served in the cafe. Little annoying (but cute) salamander jumped as Elsa chose what she'll eat. "Soup. I like soup."

His eyes widened, finding her reply to be completely obnoxious. Not that her choice sounded bad, just that today was a remarkable day for the both of them. "It's our anniversary!"

"I'll choose more, don't worry." She laughed and placed her hand over his, chills immediately sent through his spine. Jack could only be delighted by the sight of her responding to her surroundings at last, whether or not she chose to embarrass him during the moment. In the meantime, he figured to rather see what could come to unfold. "Soup is always an appetizer. Also, isn't chocolate always my next option?"

"I know, Snowflake." He hesitantly told the waiter to repeat everything they ordered and requested a cup of hot chocolate and soup to accompany them as they waited. And then he questioned his existence, all while he felt pity for the poor waiter having to bear Elsa and her shenanigans.

Their order finally recorded, the waiter went back to the kitchen, Jack seated in silence as he watched the latest episode of  _ Elsa and the Salamander _ . Instead of sparking a new conversation between the two of them, Elsa continued staring at the creature in hand, completely oblivious to her surroundings as she had been for the entirety of their day. He surely didn't know how to entertain her without sounding weird, and if he had a choice, he might freeze that salamander on plain sight. But he wouldn't, for his whole relationship with her could be ruined at that point.

He sighed in defeat, the jolly look on the salamander obvious enough to make Jack's blood boil. And while not his preference, he could feel his proximity to giving up. "So, what's his name?"

She gleefully glanced at his direction, eager to answer a simple question. 

"Anna wanted me to name him Bruni." Said salamander hopped onto her hand again while she spoke, stealing her absolutely-nowhere-to-be-found realization of Jack's existence; that small chance of her to be kept aware of the reason they stood in the cafe. "I don't know where she got that from, but hey, isn't he adorable?" 

He wanted to groan but bit back the odd reflex away. Yes, Bruni was really,  _ really  _ adorable, but he began to be adorable at the worst time possible, at the place where Jack least needed him to be. Imagine celebrating such a big event, only to be ruined by a silent salamander distracting everyone, a situation he never expected himself to end up into. And in the midst of all this, he heard Elsa hum to herself, almost as if she began commemorating their memories during the past… or just trying to make that animal sleep. Either way, it's a win?

Jack spent eternity trying to come up with something to say, though figured she just didn't want to talk to him anymore. This day meant to seem like a distant memory they'd look back to, the first anniversary they earned after a fulfilling relationship. Yet no, Jack deeply sighed and plopped his head onto the table, forcing himself to direct his attention on the noises of the area around him.

Seconds turned to minutes. If Elsa thought that dealing with him like this seemed like a joke, then him, as the master of fun and jokes himself, couldn't find the laughter-inducing part. Either he lost his own talent or she went crazy for no apparent reason. He refrained himself from looking up to her… which he couldn't do.

He clenched his fist, unable to contain himself. He kept his eyes closed as he waited for a response, or at least anything that could soothe him, which he knew was Elsa and  _ only Elsa _ , no matter how much he tried to deny it. 

To his own surprise, he perked up at the sound of water droplets hitting the floor. He never cared about the rain, him most of the time complaining about its disastrous potential, yet the sight hit him different The window next to them began to be tainted with the raindrops falling from the skies; only now he could see Elsa's eyes mirroring the serenity of the muted weather outdoors. Jack definitely didn't know what he had been thinking all along, but  _ for heaven's sake, this woman looked so beautiful for his own good— _

"Oh, look. It's raining." He genuinely smiled at the sight of rainfall and so did Elsa. He knew Elsa favored winter more than the rain, but knew things had to be quite different at their location. Oddly enough, he did know a lot of things about her, but so does the opposite. 

Her happiness did not dart on the salamander, but nor at Jack himself. If the rain instantly made her happy, then so be it, just as long as she knew where she was. "It looks… pretty," she mumbled.

"Just like you," he commented. He wouldn't waste an opportunity to say that, and really, who would? The solemn look on her face, the jolly feels, and the nostalgic aura of their moments traced itself back to Jack's mind as he saw her gaze… at him. He felt himself melting once she began to finally see him, just as she always would've. Oh, how he missed her looking at him like that, so in love and at peace, though the last time she did that was about yesterday. Doesn't matter, he didn't want to lose her.

The same waiter from earlier approached them and cleared their throat, shakily holding the tray in hand. Caught off guard, Jack stubbed his toe from under the table, internally screaming from the pain while mentally cursing on the waiter for ruining an already pretty moment.

"Here… here's your food." Jack stopped himself halfway from his furious mind, the terrified look on the waiter's face enough to calm himself. Soon, Elsa had forgotten about him again, the delish food served onto their table and the smell of chocolate getting into her senses. He could've swore he heard the waiter whisper "sorry", which, to be fair, was enough for an apology if said person got him through the food dilemma. 

Elsa started munching on her food as soon as it arrived on her plate, while Bruni stared at the window while laying down on the table. Jack sheepishly smiled, the meal surely bringing him joy, but Elsa's ignorance keeping him from maintaining that attitude. 

The dishes were satisfactory, its taste as great as what he could recall from back then, though flavorful than what he grew used to back then. Gladly, Elsa seemed to have enjoyed the taste, her craving for chocolate fulfilled and Jack, without having much of a choice, decided to back away and appreciate the delicacies they had ordered for a very special day. The cozy appearance of the cafe and the ambient sound of the rain helped him keep his cool, plus the meals served definitely made both of them happy. Thank goodness that salamander fell asleep as they ate… and then Elsa called for the waiter. Huh. 

He looked at her, confusion evident in his eyes, until he had realized what she began to do. He panicked, unable to stop her. "Elsa, no, you don't need to _ — _ "

What else could he expect than Elsa ignoring him again, paying for the meal instead of him actually doing what he intended to do. He had failed her again; no, he had failed himself again for such a grand event, something he supposedly didn't want to forget, but now something he wanted to regret _. _

After the quick transaction and Jack's complete turmoil, Elsa made sure to carry Bruni on her shoulder after she glanced at her belongings and stood up. Without his immediate notice, she pulled Jack to the doorway in glee, the rest of the customers staring at their crazed behavior with Jack brushing everything off. A second later, they stood outside the doors of the cafe, Jack ruffling his hair as he held an umbrella with another hand. He frowned at the sight of the busy street, contrary to how he felt when they had just arrived.

Elsa pulled him close, his feet almost slipping on the wet road. Jack looked back at her, while he could feel her hands placed on his shoulders, locking her gaze on him. And just as he wanted her to, she leaned in, muttering the words he wanted to hear from her since the beginning of their day. " _ Happy First Anniversary, Jack _ ." 

She kissed him under the pouring rain. And then everything that he once thought about his day changed. She never forgot, and though kind of annoyed by what she had done, he could only lean in and seize the moment they had under such dramatic weather like this. The optimal weather for romantic movies and whatever, but he held her in his arms, to the point where nothing else mattered. 

"And I thought you forgot about me." He pulled away for a second to whisper his statement, whilst Elsa simply laughed, running her fingers through his hair.

"Of course not, I'm just teasing," she replied, and as if on cue, Bruni appeared and crawled onto Jack's arm and onto his shoulder. Jack brushed a hand on her cheek, admiring the beauty right in front of him, though his other hand had somehow grown numb due to the umbrella he held. "And Bruni's adorable too, you gotta admit."

"Fine, he's cute. But aren't you cuter?" he said. She laughed heartily at the compliment, then soon hugged him tightly once again in her arms. They stood there for a long moment, ignorant of their surroundings, the condition from the now darkened sky not even bothering them whether or not they had been soaking wet. The noises of the busy street did not make them fret either, and no matter what, they stood there together in the rain. And this point, Jack knew to himself that today was a treasured memory, one worth of nostalgia… and laughter, of course.

“I love you, Jack.”

“And I love you too.”

A bunch of arriving customers had to squeeze their way into the store while Jack and Elsa blocked the way, a worried waiter stressing on what to do. The waiter that served them, however, didn't bother messing with them. But did it matter? Well, technically yes, because Jack could still feel Elsa drag him out of the way while they had their moment. And Bruni somehow found a way to sit atop his hair.

"Uh, Elsa," he spoke and glimpsed around. "We should just head home."

The rain stopped pouring as they rode a car back home, the entire ride kept quiet for some reason. Their home wasn't as far as they thought, and gladly so. 

Everything else felt too quiet once they reached the gate of their house. Not even any of the neighboring dogs barked, just the sound of occasional passersby left audible for the two of them. Nothing fancy, just slightly off, though everyone else would've freaked out on the realization. Jack opened the door to their humble abode, lights flickering open once he turned the light switch on. Bruni immediately hopped onto a wooden stool, while Elsa seemed to be scrambling for something in her bag. 

"Hold on for a sec, I just have to answer this call." She held her phone from the endless pit of her bag, a worrisome expression evident on her face. Apparently she still looked majestic at a point where she felt stress creeping into her soul, something he noticed right away. "And… sorry, Jack."

He smiled at her in assurance. "No worries, Snowflake. And it's probably Anna." 

She held her phone tightly in her hands, sighting who the caller was. Her face lit up in delight. "Guess what? You're right."

Nothing but havoc and endless teasing could happen during any conversation with Anna, and some things never change even when distance keeps everything apart. Jack knew that fact about Anna full well, but unlike the salamander, she didn't mess with his plans in any way possible. Wait, wasn't Anna the one who provided Bruni? 

Elsa answered the call, only to be greeted by a high-pitched scream then a moment of silence. And then continued by a dog barking over and over.

_ "How was your day?"  _ Anna finally spoke.

"I'm good, Anna. Really good."

He could only hear muffled laughter from the other side of the call, and only to make matters worse, Elsa covered her mouth as she spoke. There had to be something going on, especially all with that damned salamander being part of the plan. Well, as if the plan even existed.

Jack walked around their home to pick up a glass of water; he couldn't find anything else to do apart from exploring the house and turning the television on. He could only hear mumbling from the two sisters chatting and there proved no point in interjecting on their talk. Well, that's what he learned from Kristoff. Trust the man who suffered through Elsa's sister. And speaking of that one poor man who understood his struggles, he could hear Kristoff shouting his heart out in utmost stress. About carrots. Always the carrots no matter what.  _ "Sven ate all the carrots!" _

_ "Kristoff, I swear—" _ Anna replied back, her voice finally clearer this time. Uh, huh… interesting. Best of luck to you, great ol' Kristoff.  _ "So you got any plans for the night?" _

"Nope. None that I know of," Elsa replied and quickly glanced at Jack, whose attention remained kept on the television nearby. Well, that's what she thought he had been doing, for he truly eavesdropped on their conversation and tried to see if they had planned this scenario all along for the day. 

Silence from Anna. And when there's silence, Jack knew she had to be up to no good. Either way, he felt his hand reaching out to grab a camera. And also, he couldn't find one.

_ "Let me guess… mother's words - cuddle close, scootch in?" _ There goes laughter.

Then cue Elsa's embarrassment. "ANNA!"

He saw her bury her face into her hands, the phone luckily kept intact. He laughed under his breath, apparently understanding what that meant, before standing up and hugging her from behind. She gasped as she leaned onto him, weight almost sending both of them to the floor.

_ "Have fun!" _ Anna shouted before ending the call; must've heard Elsa's quick squeal. Elsa and her expectant eyes, however, stared back at him and seemed to have forgotten everything else. They gazed at each other for a long moment, Jack's hands clasped together, not until he slowly took the phone from Elsa's hand. She didn't react nor pry it away from him, just watched as he placed the object on a table nearby. 

He turned back to face her, only to be greeted by a quite ominous smirk. She dragged him towards the couch, him falling headfirst to the furniture. Elsa laughed, grinning before quickly giving him a light peck on the cheek. Jack watched as she clutched on a folded blanket nearby, placing it atop themselves. Upon seeing her make a quick attempt at standing up, he cuddled her close, her legs kicking at the response. He only chuckled, flirtatiously smirking while ruffling her hair and leaning in for another kiss. She gladly accepted the offer, one of her hands fixed on his shoulder. 

After seconds of Jack's delight, Elsa backed away, finding herself surrounding the soft pillows of the couch. She went back to him a few seconds after, clinging onto his clothing.

He placed an arm behind her, there to support her head as she dozed off and fell asleep. Jack warmly smiled at her. The light of the television appeared to be the only thing that kept him awake, yet the blankets all over them nearly forced him to face new horizons of dreamland with his beloved. Elsa snored quietly in her sleep, her arms now hugging his waist. 

Jack was just happy to finally have her in his arms… and since when did she sleep this fast?


End file.
